Meet the staff – Stoney Ramsey

HopeWorks is blessed with caring staff who are committed to our students and helping them succeed. One of those employees is Stoney Ramsey, director of Adult Education. Stoney’s dedication to HopeWorks is evident in every task, and he truly embodies HopeWorks’ mission. Keep reading to learn more about Stoney and his role at HopeWorks.

When did you start working at HopeWorks?

I began my role at Hopeworks in August 2020.

What is your favorite/the most meaningful part about working at HopeWorks?

Two things tie for first place. I genuinely enjoy working with this great team of people, and I am truly honored to witness firsthand the positive impact HopeWorks has on the lives of our clients and students.

Can you share a story related to your job?

In the fall of 2021, I worked with a student named Andrew. Andrew passed four of his five HiSET tests the first time he took them – and all in a single week! The fifth test, math, was a bigger challenge, but Andrew was determined. Despite his hard work, he didn’t pass his next two attempts that year. Still, Andrew kept coming back for more. Finally, in March of 2022, he passed the math portion, thus passing the whole test. And he didn’t just “pass” the math test, which required an 8. He knocked it out of the park with a 14! Andrew’s story truly exemplifies HopeWorks’ mission to work with our students and clients as long as they need us to ensure their success.

What does “hope works” mean to you?

“Hope works” means that once someone comes to us – through Adult Education, Workforce Development or as a justice-involved individual – they are part of the HopeWorks family for the rest of their lives.

For someone unfamiliar with HopeWorks, what’s one thing you’d like them to know?

HopeWorks is not just a name or place. HopeWorks is a mission. It’s a group of people – board members, donors, teachers, case managers, success coaches, student coordinators, workforce professionals, counselors, managers and directors – who work hard to change the lives of our students and clients and their families.

Is there a fun fact about yourself you’d like to share?

How about one serious fact and one fun fact?

In 2026, I will celebrate 40 years of marriage to my wife, LeAn. We’ve been blessed along the way with three of the best daughters we could have asked for. I am living proof of Ephesians 3:20 – “Now to Hm who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us.”

For a fun fact, when I was a kid, I loved to listen to Jack Buck and Mike Shannon, the radio play-by-play guys for the St. Louis Cardinals. I learned about baseball from them. I decided that when I grew up, I wanted to work with them and be on the radio talking about the St. Louis Cardinals. It didn’t quite work out that way, but it would have been fun!